January 9, 2011

When my sister told me that she and her fiancé will be billeted at the Bellevue Hotel for their wedding, I wondered why the name didn’t immediately light the bulb above my head. I guess I’m one of those who aren’t really familiar with the Alabang area, given the distance and the horrendous traffic jams that the road leading to it is notorious for.

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Bellevue Manila's main chandelier

﻿﻿I was initially disappointed with their choice, considering that the original plan was for us to stay with her at one of my favorite hotels in the metro – Sofitel. But after browsing through the Net for info and photos of the Bellevue Manila, I discovered that the change wasn’t actually a bringdown.

We received our first hello from the staff at Bellevue’s old tower entrance. The old lobby was kind of small, but it was warm and charming. My sister then led us to another passageway leading to the new wing of the hotel. There was no congruence in the design of the respective lobbies of the two buildings, but the new one was more elegant and was still cozy enough to make the guests feel welcome.

The Executive Suite of the Bellevue Manila was fairly big. At 61 square meters, honeymooners might already think that a space like this is already spacious enough to pattern their first abode. The first thing that I checked out, as with every hotel that I visit or check in to, was the bed. I immediately jumped on to it, unmindful of the fact that I was slated to be the floor manager for the evening (meaning the lucky one designated to sleep on the floor). The pillow made me want to wink more than forty, but I immediately jumped out of the trance as my mom was already frowning at the mess that I’ve started to create.

The Bellevue Manila's King size bed

The size of the bathroom was surprisingly big. In fact, it was even larger than most of the standard rooms that I’ve seen in Hong Kong. A huge see-through glass adorns the wall adjacent to the tub. Although blinds cover the whole length thereof, paranoia-inspired thoughts of forgetting to close the covers while sitting on the toilet bowl made me cringe a bit.

While the bedroom could easily fit 5 people, I entertained the thought of sleeping at the receiving area or sala as it was quite big. However, the bride and the groom were pulling an all-nighter, ironing out the remaining details of their wedding the following day, so I decided to stick to the original plan.

I got up early the next day to go back home to get my sister and Gin. Too bad I wasn’t able to try their breakfast buffet. But judging from the picture of The Bellevue Manila’s Café d’Asie, as well as the length of time which took my mom and sister to finish their meal, I think that it can rival the dining rooms of the other five-star hotels that are known for its sumptuous meals.

Cafe d'Asie

Overall, I think The Bellevue Manila does live up to its billing as the premier hotel in Alabang. It is an excellent choice for those who might want to have an out-of-Manila experience without leaving the advantages or comforts of city life behind. Couples who have chosen the romantic Fernbrook Gardens as the venue of their wedding will also realize that the Bellevue Manila is the best place to run to after the reception as it is only 10-15 minutes away.